Workpiece holder for coating processes

Abstract

A holder for workpieces to be coated is bent from a single piece of stiff but springy wire. A medial portion of the piece of wire defines two clamping arms that are connected at their front ends by a spring coil; and one end portion of the wire defines a mounting portion in the form of a loop connected to the rear end of one clamping arm; and the other end portion of the wire defines a pair of stabilizing wings, one of which is U-shaped with legs respectively connected to the rear end of the other clamping arm and to the other stabilizing wing. The holder is detachably connected to a carrier by means of a U-shaped supporting member having apertured lugs projecting forward from a central body. Opposite portions of the loop project through the apertures in the lugs.

What is claimed as the invention is: 
     
       1. A workpiece holder which is detachably securable to a carrier and to which a workpiece to be coated is quickly and readily removably securable for transport by the carrier along a path that carries the workpiece through a coating station, said workpiece holder comprising: a single piece of substantially stiff but springy wire having a pair of opposite ends, characterized in that: A. a medial portion of said piece of wire is bent to define a pair of clamping arms connected by a spring coil, (1) said clamping arms and spring coil being substantially contained in a single plane,   (2) each of said clamping arms having a front end adjacent to said spring coil and a rear end spaced rearwardly from the spring coil and spaced from the rear end of the other clamping arm, and   (3) each of said clamping arms having an undulation intermediate its said ends, said undulations defining opposing concavities in which opposite edge portions of a workpiece are receivable for confinement of the workpiece under clamping bias imposed upon the clamping arms by the spring coil;     B. one end portion of said piece of wire is bent to define a loop connected to one of said clamping arms at the rear end thereof and substantially all portions of which are coplanar, said loop providing for attachment of the workpiece holder to a carrier with said one clamping arm projecting in a predetermined direction from the carrier; and   C. the other end portion of said piece of wire is bent to define a pair of stabilizing wings each of which has an inner end and an outer end, the inner end of each stabilizing wing being adjacent to the rear end of the other of said clamping arms and the outer ends of the stabilizing wings being spaced to opposite sides of said plane and in forwardly offset relation to said rear end of said other clamping arm for engagement against rearwardly facing surface portions of a workpiece confined by said clamping arms, (1) one of said stabilizing wings being substantially U-shaped with a bight portion at its outer end and a pair of elongated legs which are connected by said bight portion, one of said legs being connected at its inner end to the rear end of said other clamping arm, and   (2) the other of said stabilizing wings being connected at its inner end to the inner end of the other of said legs.       
     
     
       2. The workpiece holder of claim 1 in combination with a supporting member which is securable to a carrier and to which the workpiece holder is readily removably attached, said supporting member comprising: (1) a body portion having a pair of opposite edges and a substantially flat forwardly facing surface between those edges, and   (2) a pair of lugs, each projecting substantially forwardly from one of said edges and each having an aperture therethrough that is adjacent to said surface, said loop having opposite portions which project beyond said surface through said apertures and which have a close fit in said apertures whereby the remainder of said loop is confined against said surface.   
     
     
       3. A workpiece holder which is detachably securable to a carrier and to which a workpiece to be coated is quickly and readily removably securable for transport by the carrier along a path that carries the workpiece through a coating station, characterized in that: said workpiece holder comprises a single piece of substantially stiff but springy wire having opposite ends, A. a medial portion of said piece of wire being bent to define (1) a spring coil, and   (2) a pair of elongated clamping arms, each having a front end and a rear end, (a) said clamping arms being connected to said spring coil at their front ends,   (b) said clamping arms and spring coil being substantially contained in a common plane,   (c) said clamping arms extending rearward from said spring coil in divergent relation to one another to have their rear ends spaced to the rear of the spring coil and spaced from one another, and   (d) each of said clamping arms having an undulation intermediate its ends, said undulations defining opposing concavities in which opposite edge portions of a workpiece are receivable for confinement of the workpiece under clamping bias imposed upon the clamping arms by the spring coil;       B. one end portion of said piece of wire being bent to define a U-shaped rear mounting portion of the workpiece holder having a pair of parallel legs connected by a bight portion, (1) said legs and bight portion being substantially contained in a second plane which is substantially normal to one of said clamping arms, and   (2) one of said legs, at its end remote from said bight portion, being connected to the rear end of said one clamping arm; and     C. the other end portion of said piece of wire being bent to define a pair of stabilizing wings, each of which has an inner end adjacent to the rear end of the other of said clamping arms and an outer end, (1) the outer ends of said stabilizing wings being spaced to opposite sides of said common plane and being in forwardly offset relation to the rear end of said other clamping arm for engagement against rearwardly facing surface portions of a workpiece confined by said clamping arms,   (2) one of said stabilizing wings being in the form of a loop having adjacent ends, one of which is connected to the rear end of said other clamping arm and the other of which is connected to the inner end of the other stabilizing wing.       
     
     
       4. The workpiece holder of claim 3 wherein the other of said legs of said U-shaped rear mounting portion is longer than said one leg, in combination with a supporting member for detachably securing said clamping holder to a carrier, said supporting member comprising: (1) a body having a substantially flat front surface and having (a) a length between a pair of opposite end edges which is less than the length of said one leg of said rear mounting portion and   (b) a width transverse to its length which is at least as great as the distance between said legs of the rear mounting portion;     (2) a pair of lugs on said body, each projecting forwardly beyond said front surface from one of said edges, (a) one of said lugs defining a slot adjacent to said front surface and extending lengthwise therealong wherein said bight portion of the mounting portion is closely receivable, and   (b) the other of said lugs defining a hole adjacent to said front surface wherein said other leg of the U-shaped mounting portion is closely receivable and which cooperates with said slot in confining said legs against said front surface; and   (3) means on said body for securing the same to a carrier.     
     
     
       5. In combination, a workpiece holder to which a workpiece can be quickly and readily detachably secured for transport by a carrier along a defined path and a supporting member which is attached to the carrier and to which the workpiece holder is detachably secured, characterized by: A. said supporting member comprising (1) a body having a substantially flat surface which faces in a forward direction and has a pair of opposite edges and   (2) a pair of lugs on said body, each projecting substantially in said forward direction from one of said edges, (a) one of said lugs having therein a slot which is adjacent to said surface and extends lengthwise along the same, and   (b) the other of said lugs having therein a hole adjacent to said surface; and       B. said workpiece holder comprising a single piece of substantially stiff but springy wire having opposite ends, (1) a part of said piece of wire that extends along its length from one of its ends being bent to provide a U-shaped rear mounting portion of said holder having a pair of substantially parallel legs connected by a coplanar bight portion, (a) each of said legs overlying said surface along a substantial portion of its length and extending through said slot with a close fit to dispose said bight portion outwardly of one of said edges of the body, and   (b) one of said legs being longer than the other, terminating at said one end of the piece of wire and extending through said hole with a close fit to have its terminal portion projecting beyond the other of said edges of the body;   (2) a medial portion of said piece of wire being bent to define (a) an elongated first clamping arm projecting substantially in said forward direction and having a rear end connected to said other of said legs at the end of the latter that is remote from said bight portion,   (b) a spring coil connected to the front end of said first clamping arm,   (c) a second elongated clamping arm having front and rear ends, said second clamping arm having its front end connected to the spring coil to be connected with the first clamping arm through the spring coil, said second clamping arm being contained in a plane that also substantially contains the spring coil and the first clamping arm and having its rear end spaced to the rear of the spring coil and spaced from the first clamping arm, and   (d) an undulation in each of said clamping arms, intermediate the ends thereof, said undulations defining opposing concavities in the clamping arms in which opposite edge portions of a workpiece are receivable for confinement of the workpiece under clamping bias which the spring coil exerts upon the clamping arms; and     (3) another part of said piece of wire, extending along its length from the other of its ends, being bent to define a pair of stabilizing wings, each having an inner end and an outer end, the inner ends of said stabilizing wings being adjacent to the rear end of said second clamping arm and the outer ends of said stabilizing wings being spaced to opposite sides of said plane and in forwardly offset relation to their inner ends to be engageable against spaced apart rearwardly facing surface portions of a workpiece confined by said clamping arms, (a) one of said stabilizing wings being substantially U-shaped with two legs that are connected by a bight portion at its outer end, one of the last-mentioned legs having an inner end connected to the rear end of the second clamping arm, and   (b) the other stabilizing wing being connected at its inner end to the inner end of the other of the last-mentioned legs.